Definitions

ruthless

[rooth-lis] / ˈruθ lɪs /

ADJECTIVE

mean, heartless

Synonyms

STRONGEST

barbarous brutal callous cold-blooded cruel cutthroat ferocious fierce harsh inhuman malevolent merciless rancorous relentless sadistic savage unforgiving unrelenting unyielding vicious vindictive

WEAK

adamant cold dog-eat-dog feral grim hard hard-hearted implacable inexorable ironfisted killer mortal obdurate pitiless remorseless revengeful severe stern stony surly unappeasable unfeeling unmerciful unsympathetic without pity

Antonyms

STRONGEST

calm civilized compassionate easy feeling flexible forgiving friendly gentle humane kind merciful mild nice nonviolent peaceful polite sympathetic tame tender

WEAK

considerate giving

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"And the things that get said are ruthless - sink or swim."

From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026

But it’s also a ruthless competitor, and its record-smashing public listing threatens to crowd out other names in the space ecosystem.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 10, 2026

Adjusting the portfolio isn’t the only area where Navratil has been ruthless.

From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026

According to the film’s logline, Kara’s encounter with “an unexpected and ruthless adversary” leads her to “reluctantly join forces with an unlikely companion on an epic, interstellar journey of vengeance and justice.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026

When the matter was closed, when the sentence was passed and the congregation dispersed, a ruthless youthful forgetting, a willful erasing, protected her well into her teens.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan

Vocabulary lists containing ruthless

Anti-Antonyms: Words Without Opposites

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Negative Words to Describe a Person

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The Things They Carried

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